Nothing Could Have Prepared Me For My Time In Sydney, Except God

“Jesus Loves You!” I yelled at the passerby on the street as our car drove past.

The year was 2000, the Sydney Olympics were about to begin and I was elated by what I had just done. The rush that came from stepping out of my comfort zone was the first in many attempts at sharing the love of God to those I would come into contact with.

I felt like a little kid. I was 23. It was the first time I would be in a city far from home, telling people who Jesus is.

My lecture phase had just ended for my Discipleship Training School (DTS), I was with a bunch of my newest friends from our time spent together growing in our own relationships with God and we were heading into 8 weeks of outreach.

I was young and I felt free. I had no idea what to expect. I’d wanted to come to Australia and now I was here and the world would be watching Sydney as the Olympics would be shown world wide.

The city was a buzz. My team was excited.

One of the first challenges for us was sharing our testimony in front of a crowd. When our team lead asked who wanted to share, no one volunteered. So I said I would. I think we were all a bit nervous.

We had prepared skits, dances, and dramas to tell people about Jesus. I had gone over my own story of God transforming my life but to share that with other people was new to me. I remember praying to God for help. I really wasn’t sure if I would do a good job or if anyone would listen. But I did it anyway, trusting that God would be there.

He was. He got me through it.

There were many more instances where my reliance on God was deep. Everyday on outreach I was challenged to talk to people about God; to not be afraid. To be bold.

I remember one of the nights our team went to a very big social gathering in Darling Harbour. The challenge was the same: go talk to someone, tell them about God.

I was not wanting to do that. I just wanted to enjoy the evening, see the city and not step out of my comfort zone. God had other things in mind. As I sat there, I prayed to talk to someone and suddenly I was in a conversation with this lady. The opening line wasn’t anything about God, just a regular conversation starter.

As I chatted with her, I told her why I was there and I ended up challenging her with giving God a chance. I explained that God wouldn’t let her down. The conversation just flowed and before I knew it, I had to go.

Again, God never left my side.

As our outreach went on, we were able to meet many people and talk with them about God. Everyday was a new challenge and I continued to grow in evangelizing to people.
If someone were to tell me months prior that I would be evangelizing, I don’t know if I would have come to Australia.

Nothing could have prepared me for my time in Sydney, except God. In times of hardship, He was there. In times of joy, He was there. Those day to day experiences really showed me that no matter where I am in the world, God will be there. He’ll give me the words to say.

I had prepped for outreach as much as I could but it took me stepping out in faith, trusting Him and letting Him lead me for me to see more of who He is.
If you had the chance, would you do it? Would you be willing to let go and let God lead you?

By Jaime Gomez
Port YWAM Kona Communications Staff

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